Improvement in pinch-bars



Urirrnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

M. GRIER COLLINS, OF WILMINGTON', DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS HISRIGHT TO JAMES C. PIOKELS AND WILLIAM P. SMITH,

OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlNCH-BARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,153, dated May 11,1875 application iiled April 1, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, M. GRIER COLLINS, ofWilmington, in the county of New Castle and in the State of Delaware,have invented cer- A tain new and useful Improvements in Pinch- Bars;and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingmaking a part of this specilication, in which- Figure l is a perspectiveview of my improved bar as arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a like view ofthe lower side of the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection through the center of the bearingplate.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the gures.

My invention is an improvement upon a similar device for which LettersPatent No. 7 6,421 were issued April 7, 1868, to J. Douglass; and itconsists in the fulcrum-plate, constructed in one piece from cast metal,and in the form substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

In the Douglass device the fulcrum-plate is composed of several piecesof wrought metal combined by welding or screws. Its engagin g-bits areformed oi' one piece of metal, and attached to or upon its rear end bymeans of screws, which are liable to become detached and lost, whilesaid bits are dii'licult to sharpen and expensive to replace, the wholebeing cumbersome, weak, and not durable.

To obviate these difficulties, I construct my fulcrum-plate A in onepiece from cast-steel, in the form shown in Figs. l and 3, and providewithin the inner face of each of two lugs, a, and a, that extenddownward and out- Being cast in one piece, the plate A has only thenecessary dimensions at each point to afford the required strength, and,consequently, possesses no superliuous weight, beside which said part ismore cheaply produced than would be possible if made up oi' severalparts.

From the upper side of the plate A two lugs or ears, c" and a, extendlupward in parallel lines, and between the same is pivoted apinch-bar,O,which has the usual form,

vand has its front end about upon a line with the corresponding end ofsaid plate. The front end, at the upper side of the bar C, beingprovided with a sharp corner, c, in the usual manner, the device isready for use, as follows:

The fulcrum-plate is placed upon or astride of a rail, D, with itsforward end against the .i

tread of the wheel to be operated upon, the pinch-bar being raised tothe position shown in Fig. l, when, by depressing the rear end of saidbar, its front end will engage with and move said wheel forward. When aWheel has been moved to the limit of the motion of the pinch-bar thelatter is raised, and its fulcrumplate advanced until its forward end isagain Vin contact with said wheel, when the operation described isrepeated.

In order that the bits B and B may be automatically freed fromengagement with the track a spring, E, is secured at one end to or uponthe lower side of the plate A, and, eX- tending rearward and downward,has its free end upon a line with said bits. The strength ot' the springE is sufficient to prevent the weight of the device from bringing thebits B and B into engagement with the track; but whenever any downwardpressure is exerted upon the pinch-bar said spring will yield and permitsuch engagement, and whenever such downward pressure is removed willraise said fulcrum-plate and release said bits.

When necessary to sharpen or renew the bits B and B, they are readilywithdrawn longitudinally from within their grooves, and, when thusdetached, may be applied to any ordinary grindstone.

Having thus fully setforth thefnatureand merits of my invention, what Iclaim as newr 1s- The fulorum-plate A, provided with the lugs a and a,grooves a and a', ears a and a, and formed in one piece from cast-steel,substantialiy as amd for the purposeshown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this31st day of March, 1875.

l M. GRIER COLLINS. Witnesses:

GEO..S. PRINDLE, WILLIAM FITCH.

